Slow downloads

How is your WHDVR network connected to your home network for internet access?

My WHDVR set-up uses DECA and the system is connected to the internet via the DirecTV internet access box connected to my router via ehternet. Like I said, the system has worked perfectly fine until last night and there has been no change in configuration.

You can try a reconfiguration of your DVR's network settings thus: 

Do a red button (inside card door) reset of the DVR.  When it's booted up, do thus:   Menu -> .....setup -> system setup -> network setup -> restore defaults. At this point stop and go to your router and disconnect AC power for a minute and plug it back in.  When all the lights settle down, go back to the DVR and run the "connect now" command.  You should get a "connected to Internet" message. If so, try downloading a concert from channel 1239 as a test. 

Still no improvement. I can watch Vudu HD content immediately on my upstairs Blu-ray player which is connected to the network wirelessly. I can also watch HD content on my Sony Blu-ray player which sits next to the HD20 and connects via ethernet to the same router (I even swapped the ethernet cable connections).

I've been downloading a Hi-def movie on my livingroom HR20 for over an hour now and it is at 32% (receiver is right next to the router...and is where the internet bringe is located). This makes Cinemanow almost worthless.

comparing a DTV receiver to another streaming device is a moot point, since DTV does not stream but rather downloads the movie in full resolution.

what movie are you downloading?  form what channel?

I am just trying to illustrate that my problem is not router or internet related. It doesn't matter what movie I try and download...everything is slow now. I can even watch SD without letting it sit for several minutes before watching to allow it to buffer. I have tried Sony channel, Starz, TMC...all show extremely slow download rates. 

The download rate, up to "real time" is determined by your ISP connection.  If you'll go to www.speedtest.net and run a test and report back your results in Mbps we can tell you what is normal.

It requires a connection in the 8 - 9 Mbps range to download HD programming in real time.  Real time meaning the download proceeds at a rate about equal to playback.   If the HD movie you describe was two hours in length and you downloaded 32% in an hour, then you probably have a connection in the 5 Mbps range. 

This is an entirely usable connection, you'll simply need to plan ahead.  Are you aware that there are several PPV movies already loaded on your DVR and available for instant viewing?

Well as I've mentioned, I'm on FiOS and I've never seen less than 13M down (I test regularly). I am aware that there are PPV movies pre-loaded in the segregated partition of the HD and have watched them (I am a CE'er).

Did you actually run the reconfiguration process outlined in post #4.  It appears that we may just be having a conversation here rather than a trial and error exchange?  If you in fact have a 13 Mbps connection and it is nice and solid, most (but not all) programs will download pretty much in real time.

Yes, I have run that reconfiguration at least 4-5 times (much to my family's disdain). I downloaded the latest CE (0x4d7) last night (after downloading last week's version-0x4FD) and things seem to have improved. I don't know if it is CE related or hardware related but since only one of my 4 DVRs runs the CE I doubt that could be it but perhaps the CE is causing issues with the DECA cloud and causing slow performance. I will keep an eye on it and if things return to the very slow performance I will run a trouble report and report it on the CE forums.

Ahhhhh, CE is it.  Aren't you aware that when you run CE you're on your own?  A lot of folks grab on to CE thinking they will get the latest technology in advance.  That may be true on occasion, but they may get a mouthful of sour grapes as well.

Not to wear out a point, but when you reply that "Yes, I have run that reconfiguration at least 4-5 times" it still sounds as though you treated the suggestion as a "been there, done that".  Many folks will run portions and miss the router reset etc.  In any event, good luck.

I have been a CE'er for years and do it to help DirecTV out as well as test the "latest and greatest". I was even a beta tester for DirecTV for the initial round of SWiM-8 modules and am fully aware that I am "on my own" but since this was system wide and not just related to the machine that runs the CE software I figured I would ask here...guess I will stay off the DirecTV forums and stick to DBSTalk only. Thanks.

No need to be insulted, the thing is that we, or at least I, do not have any knowledge of what effect which CE software might have on the download speed of the Cinema Connection Kit.  I would assume none, but I can't be sure.

Assuming all hardware is 100%, the recoinfiguration fixes most connection problems, but it must be run in it's entirety.  Woops, I said that before didn't I?  Re reading this entire thread it appears that you didn't run a speed test concurrently with your slow download problem.

I do understand the requirement to discuss CE related issues in the CE forums only. I only brought it up here since it was the only thing that had changed between the downloads working fine and then being very slow and every other attempted solution didn't fix the problem. I didn't think that it could be related to the CE (since it was evident on all receivers in my DECA cloud and not just my CE machine) therefore didn't even think to post about it on those forums.

I still don't have a good reason as to why things have improved. When the problem first showed up I ran a speedtest (first thing I thought of) and got my normal results (approx 15M down). I any case, if the problem shows up again I will post about it only on the DBSTalk forums.